


So much to see, so what’s wrong with taking the back streets

by voices_in_my_head



Category: 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), Fast & Furious (Movies)
Genre: AU of the film where Brian and Roman are exes, I didn't actually have to change all that much really, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24423745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voices_in_my_head/pseuds/voices_in_my_head
Summary: "Rome looks good, not all that different from the last time he saw him. Well, except for the look in his face. Back then, he’d just looked at Brian with betrayal in his eyes. Hatred even. He looks relaxed now, waving at people.And then his eyes land on Brian, and it’s like they’re seeing each other through a glass wall again. Rome walks away and Brian almost tells Bilkins, “this was a mistake, let’s find someone else” because what if Rome says no? What if his hatred for Brian is so large that he’s willing to let the opportunity of having a wiped record go by just to not be in Brian’s vicinity?"
Relationships: Brian O'Conner/Roman Pearce
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





	So much to see, so what’s wrong with taking the back streets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Veto_power_over_clocks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veto_power_over_clocks/gifts).



> So here I was, watching "2 Fast 2 Furious" with Ceci and she goes "Brian and Rome are exes" and I was like "uhm, not sure" because clearly, the homoerotecism of these films escaped me as a teen. But five minutes later I was like "yeah, you're right."
> 
> So this is for Ceci, for showing me the light.

Brian is standing as Rome gets out of the Monte Carlo and his breath gets caught, and it’s not because of the heat. Rome looks good, not all that different from the last time he saw him. Well, except for the look in his face. Back then, he’d just looked at Brian with betrayal in his eyes. Hatred even. He looks relaxed now, waving at people.

And then his eyes land on Brian, and it’s like they’re seeing each other through a glass wall again. Rome walks away and Brian almost tells Bilkins, “this was a mistake, let’s find someone else” because what if Rome says no? What if his hatred for Brian is so large that he’s willing to let the opportunity of having a wiped record go by just to not be in Brian’s vicinity?

Brian doesn’t think he could deal with that. Rome’s hatred for him for being a cop, the guilt he believes he carries for knowing Rome was going to be arrested? Brian doesn’t like it but he can deal with it. But Rome’s hatred being so full that he’d rather do the rest of his house arrest, deal with a future with ex-con written on his resume? Brian is almost willing to just fly back to Miami than to know that for certain.

But he’s not a coward, Bilkins wouldn’t let him simply walk away now anyhow and Rome deserves to at least hear the proposal.

So Brian follows him, sees the way his shoulders are tense every time Brian calls his name. And then he calls “Rome!” and that finally gets him to stop, to turn around. Rome doesn’t look at him with hatred, not at first. Brian just sees betrayal, the hatred comes later, when he calls him “pig.” Hatred and disgust.

And then Bilkins is supporting Brian’s statement about not being a cop anymore and Brian knows what’s coming before it happens. Because punching a cop? That comes with consequences, even for a non ex-con. But punching some random guy, especially this side of town? No one’s blinking an eye.

Rome punches hard, he always did, though it’s certainly been a while since Brian’s been on the receiving end of one. Usually their fights had just been for fun, but they were both competitive guys and sometimes… Well, sometimes tempers flared up and then they both got to hear mama Pearce telling them they were better than this, that she expected more.

But mama Pearce ain’t here now.

Rome isn’t exactly bad but Brian’s got training that he doesn’t, and eventually gets him in a chokehold. He’d let the fight go on for longer if he thought it’d lead anywhere good, but Rome isn’t the type to back down from a fight, not until he absolutely has to. And even then… Brian’s always been afraid of the day he pissed someone he shouldn’t and didn’t know when to walk away.

After Bilkins has told him the deal is legit, he leaves them by saying “you have twenty minutes to pack, flight’s in five hours. A cop will be here before that to take that off your ankle.”

Rome just enters his caravan without looking back. Brian certainly isn’t walking to the car Bilkins’ rented; he likes the guy but he doesn’t want to deal with any unwanted questions. But he also knows he’s not welcome at Rome’s home.

Brian almost ignores that, almost goes inside just because he can and because that’s how they’ve always been: what’s mine is yours and all that. Brian can’t remember knocking before entering the Pearce residence as a kid and then as an adult and the same goes for Rome. The two of them had been pretty much attached at the hip since they first met when they were six.

But this is now, not then. So Brian just goes and sits in the chair by the side of the caravan, looks in front of him.

The demolition derby is a new thing, wasn’t there when he and Rome moved to L.A. But it’s a stop he remembers, carnivals coming and going, Barstow just another American small town on their path.

Brian forces himself not to think of the past as he sees people around him getting into their cars and driving away, until Rome’s caravan and the food roulette are the only ones left. Instead he thinks back on the folder Bilkins gave him on the flight over, everything they have on Carter Verone.

The police and the FBI are probably only trusting him because Verone is such a douchebag. If he was some type of criminal with a heart of gold, they wouldn’t let him ten feet from the guy. Been there, done that, right?

“We going or what?” Rome’s voice sounds from behind him and Brian’s been so focused on not thinking about him, where he is – the memories – that he’s genuinely surprised, can’t stop the small jump at his voice. Rome, of course, snorts from above him.

Brian doesn’t say anything as he gets up, turns to see Rome’s changed into clean clothes – he always did enjoy his sleeveless shirts – with a gym bag on a hand.

“You look good,” Brian says and Rome stares at him for a few seconds. Brian doesn’t feel the urge to fidget, but he does feel the urge to say something else. It’s not like he’s someone who isn’t comfortable with silences, but silence and Roman Pearce have never really gone hand in hand. Rome’s silence towards him is a choice and Brian doesn’t know how to deal with it.

“You look like the same blondie surfer as always. That why they let you go; not professional enough for them?”

“Who says they’re the ones to let me go?” Brian asks, not hurt at all by the assumption, just curious.

“Because you’re too damn stubborn to walk away from something willingly,” Rome says and then turns to lock his door, walking away from Brian without letting him say anything else.

Brian follows him, thinking over his words. He wonders what Rome would say if he told him the truth – that he was fired for letting a perp escape. He’d probably get punched a second time and it’s not like Brian would even be able to blame him, not when Rome would just see it as Brian doing something for some stranger that he wouldn’t do for his boyfriend.

Bilkins is talking to a cop in uniform by the rented car and they both turn to Rome as he and Brian approach.

Rome doesn’t say anything as the ankle bracelet comes off, just moves his foot around, like it was weighting him down. And maybe it was; not like Brian has personal experiences with ankle bracelets.

Brian sits in the front and the drive is spent mostly in silence, with the radio either playing music or the news. Rome does make conversation with Bilkins, but it’s nothing personal, just the usual bullshit. Bilkins, of course, just gives as good as he gets, making Rome scowl with a few well placed barbs.

The three of them don’t get seats by each other on the plane from L.A. to Miami – the police department and the FBI clearly have more important things to spend money on – and Brian doesn’t know if that’s a blessing in disguise or not.

He needs to talk to Rome. Hell, he wants to talk to him. Even if it’s nothing serious, even if it’s more of Rome blaming his crimes on him… He wants to know that Rome really is the same guy, that the three years in prison didn’t change him that much.

Because him going to prison really wasn’t Brian’s fault; he didn’t force Rome to steal stuff and he truly didn’t know the cops were onto him. But that doesn’t mean Brian doesn’t feel a smidge of guilt. He made the choice to become a cop, hoping that their relationship would be strong enough to withstand it, but knowing it was a possibility that Rome would see it as a betrayal.

And he did. The second Brian was out of the academy, that he was putting on that badge every morning before leaving their apartment, there started being a distance between them that wasn’t there before. Rome was shorter with his words; he saw every question from Brian as an accusation. And eventually, Brian simply stopped making so many questions, didn’t want to deal with the irritation.

If he had kept asking just what it was Rome was up to… They’d both done petty crimes as kids, then teenagers. But he’d stopped after juvie, knew that whatever crime he did after turning eighteen would end up with him in a far more serious place.

But Rome had kept doing what he liked, what he thought he was good at. He’d barely made it through high school, only really making it through because it would break mama Pearce’s heart if he dropped out, and his skills as a mechanic were good, but then so were the ones of thousands of people around L.A.

They had bills to pay and Rome had found his way to pay his share.

An almost six-hour flight is not the time to think of the past, but what else can Brian think of? He fucked up his relationship over his job and then he fucked up his job over… He doesn’t even know. Friends, family… Something else.

He’s genuinely happy when they finally land, even if he has to deal with Rome’s passive-aggressiveness and Bilkins’ general… Aura of amusement. It’s one Brian recognizes, that he’s a master at exuding as well. But not now, not around Rome.

It’s late when they get to L.A. and Bilkins tells Brian that he’ll pick him up in the morning, goes to drive Rome to a hotel, at least until Brian has found him a place to stay.

He could offer his boat but there isn’t exactly any place to sleep except his bed and he has a feeling the offer wouldn’t go down well. So he tells them goodnight and gets a cab himself. Not like he has a car right now.

Brian orders some food when he gets to his boat and forces himself to pay attention to some paperback he bought months before, when he first moved to Miami, forces himself not to think of Rome, of them.

He goes to bed early, has no idea what the hell is happening with the book after fifty pages and it takes him a long time to fall asleep.

This is already off to a great start.

.

Rome gets cold feet before entering the police station and it feels good to finally tell him that he needs to take responsibility for his actions. Brian can’t pretend that it also doesn’t feel good to do the “stare and drive” schtick on Monica, and the way Rome yells “I taught him that!” and they look at each other, clearly both remembering the same thing.

A sixteen-year-old Rome with a car of unknow origin – at least he never told Brian where he got it from – and taking him to an empty road and then just… doing it. The car drove faster and faster, and so did Brian’s heartbeat, though he also hadn’t been able to stop smiling.

It had felt… electrifying. Like he was aware of the world in a way he hadn’t been before. Yeah, they could crash and burn – literally – but they could also not. The line between truly being alive and not had never felt so real.

And once Rome had finally stopped and looked at Brian with the biggest shit eating grin he had ever seen on anyone’s face, Brian had laughed for a good few seconds. After a lot of sputtering, telling Brian that that had been the most amazing thing he had ever seen and why the fuck was he laughing, Rome had started laughing too.

And then Brian had leaned forward to kiss him. It had been something he’d been thinking of for months. Because he liked girls and every time he saw Kylie passing through the high school’s highways, his heart did a little jump, but whenever Rome smiled at him, his heart did that exact same jump and he’d finally figured out what that meant.

And yeah, maybe this would still end in a crash and burn of a different type, but Brian wasn’t someone who didn’t go after what he wanted, and he had to believe that the way Rome went after the girls he dated had to mean something. The times that Brian turned to look at him and he was already looking had to mean something.

It had taken a few seconds, enough for Brian to be prepared to pull back and receive a punch, before Rome had kissed back and Brian hadn’t even tried to stop a sigh of relief from escaping.

And then Monica is telling him the light’s gone green and the moment is gone, both Brian and Rome paying attention to the road again. But Brian can’t pretend his stomach isn’t doing somersaults, and it wasn’t because of the “stare and drive” shared with Monica.

And later, when they’re driving to the compound in Little Haiti, it… It feels like old times. Brian passes the other drivers, paying them the bare amount of attention, mostly just focusing on Rome behind him and then he spins until the front of his car is turned to Rome, shouting at him like they’re teenagers again, always trying to show off to the other, to be better.

Brian keeps smiling and laughing the whole way through. He hasn’t felt this free in a very long time, not since L.A. and losing his job over letting Dom get away. He feels like… Like himself. Like being with Rome is bringing back the young him, the carefree one, the one that didn’t get tied up in knots over what doing the right thing really meant.

And Rome is right there with him; Brian can see him smiling from the rearview mirror. It sure as hell doesn’t mean their issues have been forgotten, they still need to have a serious conversation, but it feels damn good, that’s for sure.

The cops showing up and almost ruining their cover feels less good. Brian doesn’t even know where the fuck Rome got the gun from.

At least they get away, though Brian imagines going back to talk to the cops isn’t going to be pretty. At Verone’s mansion, Rome calls him out for checking Monica out and Brian genuinely doesn’t know if he’s jealous, if he doesn’t like that she’s a cop, if he wants to be checking her out himself or if he’s just afraid the attention will make Verone kill them.

Brian doesn’t even let himself pretend that part of him isn’t wishing for the first option. Rome’s always been jealous and a bit possessive though it’s not like he has a right to anymore, not when it comes to Brian.

They leave Verone’s place, not without Rome making a show of himself, of course, and then Brian leads them to Tej’s, wants to make sure the cars are clean.

He almost fumbles when Rome tells him he ain’t wearing no underwear but just smiles and says “tell me about it,” doesn’t know what else he’s supposed to say. That’s not exactly something you say to someone you’re just friends with, is it?

Well, perhaps not for most people but Rome’s never been most people. It feels a bit like they’re playing some type of game, all about the pull and back. First Rome’s mention about Brian always getting in trouble over women – which ain’t exactly a lie, but like hell is Brian telling him that – and now the comment about the underwear…

If this doesn’t feel like back in high school, when they didn’t know what the fuck they wanted to be to each other, but also weren’t acting like just your normal friends, he doesn’t know what it does.

Hell, even when they moved to a tiny two-bedroom apartment in L.A. it felt a lot like this as well. Screwing each other, but also bringing women back, making sure they were loud enough to wake the other up.

It had taken years for them to finally sit down and have a half-assed conversation about what the fuck they were doing with each other. Brian had been the one to use the word “boyfriend” while Rome said he didn’t want no labels. Of course, Brian had kept to himself the “you wouldn’t have a problem if I was a girl” comment because the point was for them to move forward, not keep arguing over the same old things.

And it didn’t really matter to him if they used a label or not. It wasn’t like they were holding hands while walking down the streets or going to a pride parade. L.A. sure was more open minded than Barstow but there were still things best left to yourself, especially when one of you was going to the police academy and the other ran with gangsters.

Tej is nice enough to let Rome sleep on his empty boat – Brian doesn’t know where Tej lives, but he knows he’s got another place somewhere – and doesn’t ask exactly what Rome means when he says Brian’s got bad habits.

Probably for the best, because all Brian can think about is “we end up sharing a place, we probably end up sleeping together as well.” Which is certainly not something he’s against, and from the looks Rome’s been giving him – when he’s not busy ogling all the pretty women around them in bikinis – he wouldn’t mind it either.

But this is neither the time nor the place. They have to keep things professional, at least for now.

Brian lets Tej arrange the meeting with the two drivers from Verone’s testing while he and Rome go get something to eat.

They find a tacos roulette not too far away and after getting their food go and sit by one of the wooden picnic tables set around the place.

They eat in silence; it’s not like there’s been a lot of occasions during the day to eat, though Rome certainly enjoyed Markham’s sandwich. But looking at the way he’s going at his taco, you’d think he hadn’t eaten for days.

Brian is only halfway through his taco when Rome is done with his, looking back at the roulette. Brian laughs.

“You can go get another. It’s not like we have anywhere to be for a few hours.”

Rome nods and gets up without another word, Brian watching his back with an amused smile. He gets appreciative glances from a couple women, sending back one of his big smiles, the ones that show off his very white teeth, glinting in the setting sun, and that screams both “I’m innocent, nothing to see here” and promises trouble. Brian doesn’t know anyone else who can achieve those two paradoxical effects at the same time with just a smile.

Rome comes back already having taken a bite from his taco and Brian can’t help it, he shakes his head as he laughs.

“What? I’m hungry,” Rome says, unapologetically, and it just makes Brian keep smiling, though he has to force his lips down to be able to take his own bite of his food.

They keep eating in silence and it’s not necessarily uncomfortable, but it’s not all that comfortable either. Too many unspoken words.

“So you ended up in Miami after getting fired?” Rome finally asks and even though Brian knows he’s not exactly known for being silent, it still surprises him that he’s willing to make conversation, when he’s been so standoffish for the past few days. But there’s a curious glint in his eyes that Brian knows as well as the back of his hand.

“Yeah, I needed some cash and the races in Miami are hot.”

“Like they ain’t in L.A.?” Rome asks with a raised eyebrow and Brian doesn’t know how much to divulge. Rome’s going to ask him about what Markham told him sooner or later, but Brian doesn’t want to talk about Dom or Mia or anything to do with why he lost his job.

“Just needed a change of scenery,” is what Brian finally settles on.

Rome’s finished with his food – so has Brian – and he’s just staring at him. It’s not something Rome does all that often. It’s not that he’s inattentive, it’s more like he’s always looking for the next thing to give his attention to, so what’s right in front of him in the present sometimes goes unseen.

“Miami sure is pretty,” is what he finally says and Brian feels like there’s a taut line between them, just waiting for someone to cut. He doesn’t know what’ll happen when it is cut, but it probably won’t be pretty.

He’s pretty sure Rome is feeling it too, but that he knows this isn’t the time nor the place, that they first have to win two new cars and then deal with Verone at his club.

“Yeah,” Brian says back and now he’s thinking of Rome’s three lost years of pretty sights. But he forces the guilt down; Rome chose to do a crime and he went to prison for it.

Though it’s not like Brian hasn’t done his fair share of crimes. But he also knows that if he smiles prettily enough, his blond curls and blue eyes will get him out of most trouble. The same can’t be said for Rome, no matter how pretty his smile might be.

They keep staring at each other and it brings back memories, of being new in L.A. and going out for the cheapest food they could find since it’s not like either could cook but not like they could afford the good food either.

Sometimes they just talked shit, words that came out of their mouths for no reason than the fact that they were together and that’s what they did, but sometimes they talked about the future, in low tones, sharing glances and smiles.

Brian’s stomach squeezes at the memories, at putting his hand on Rome’s thigh under the table and Rome smiling at him, a small one, a secretive one, and leaning his shoulder against Brian’s.

Finally, Brian forces himself up. “We should check on Tej.”

“Yeah,” Rome says, getting up as well and they put their trash out, then head back to the garage.

Rome bumps his shoulder against Brian’s and Brian stares resolutely forward, even though he has to fight the urge to just grab Rome and… He doesn’t even know. Kiss him? Tell him he’s already out of the ankle bracelet so the two of them can just run away?

It’s not like he wants Verone to get away, but as much fun as it’s been to race with Rome, the fact is that they’re dealing with a dangerous man and if something happens to Rome… This time it really will be on Brian. He’s the reason Rome’s here, after all.

“Why you so gloomy?” Rome asks, bumping their shoulders together again. The sun’s set and his eyes aren’t glinting anymore, but the artificial light around them still hits them in a way that makes them shine a different way.

But maybe that’s just Brian seeing things.

“Nothing wrong, cuz. Just don’t want you getting in trouble at Verone’s club tonight.”

Rome barks out a laugh, though he sends an accusative look Brian’s way.

“Oh yeah, I’m the one who’s been flirting with his woman and gonna get us kill over it.”

Brian doesn’t say anything right away, isn’t sure what to say. He likes Monica; she seems smart and as someone who’d done undercover work before, he knows that the lines really are easy to blend, even if you’re working for someone awful like Verone. And yeah, the fact that she’s damn attractive doesn’t hurt either.

“I can keep my hands to myself,” Brian finally says and Rome sends him another look, but this one Brian really has no idea what it means. That he doesn’t trust him on that? That he wants him to put his hands on someone else?

Luckily, they’re back at the garage and Brian can hear Suki shit-talk Tej about something or another, which saves them from having to continue their conversation.

Rome smiles at his new friends and Brian can’t help but to sigh from relief.

.

Verone leaves the private room with Monica, but Brian and Rome keep sitting, though neither makes any move to drink any more of the champagne.

“You realize… That could have been you, right? Putting the moves on his girl,” Rome says and he sounds both shocked and worried.

Brian doesn’t answer. He’s seen a lot of things, but a man almost get eaten through by a rat… He gets it now why Verone asked them to come to the club; he was just making sure the two of them knew he meant business, that he wasn’t some low-time gangster to play around.

Again, Brian has that urge to grab Rome and just leave. Because yeah, that could have been him for flirting with Monica, but that could also be both him and Rome if something goes wrong in retrieving whatever they’ll be taking in two days and Verone decides they didn’t do it properly.

“You ever see something like that?” Rome asks and Brian turns to look at him. He’s just staring ahead, at the table which still has sweat marks.

“In L.A., my last case. There was a guy… He made another drink gasoline.”

“Jesus. He blew him up afterwards?”

“Nah, just had him kiss his shoe.”

“That’s fucked up,” Rome says and Brian nods. Slowly, he raises a hand and puts it on Rome’s shoulder. When he doesn’t make any move to dislodge him, he squeezes. “It’s not like I didn’t see some fucked up shit in prison, you know? It was eat or be eaten.”

This time, when Brian squeezes his shoulder, it’s not conscious, just him half afraid of the stories Rome has of prison.

“Don’t worry, nothing happened to me. Had a few fights in the first days and then they just let me be. That’s what you gotta do, you know? Show you don’t take shit from no one.”

“Yeah,” Brian says and turns to the table, same as Rome. “I think Verone just showed that pretty well.”

Rome doesn’t say anything right away, Brian’s hand still on his shoulder. Finally, he inhales deeply, slaps both hands on his thighs, and gets up, dislodging Brian’s hand, though not forcibly.

“Let’s go. I’ve had enough of this club.”

Brian nods, gets up as well. Then they leave.

.

The next morning, Brian’s woken up in his boat by Monica, closely followed by Rome coming in telling him Verone’s boys are outside, looking non too happy when he sees Monica’s the reason for it, even though she says she snuck out.

So either Verone’s guys really are there for her, or they’re there to tell Brian something. Either way, them finding Monica in his boat would be good for absolutely no one.

Brian almost tells Rome to go outside and stall them, since he does have a special way with words, after all. But mostly whatever bullshit he spouts just ends up pissing off whoever he’s talking to, not making them calm down.

So instead he leads Monica to the bathroom, shows her the skylight and closes the door behind her.

Then he goes back to the middle of his room, still with his shirt off.

“Please don’t punch me,” Brian says and then steps inside Rome’s space, who immediately raises both eyebrows, but doesn’t do or say anything else. So Brian puts a hand on his neck, another on his waist and kisses him.

It’s not a soft peck, testing the waters; he full on commits to it. Verone’s guys are about to come in and what better way to convince them that Monica isn’t around and hell, that Brian isn’t interested, than finding him making out with a guy?

It’s not like it’s their first time making out anyway, though Brian resolutely ignores the memories trying to resurface.

Rome groans against his mouth, putting a hand on Brian’s jaw, moving it the way he wants it to and the other on Brian’s ass, massaging it.

It’s Brian’s time to moan against his lips and he has to be honest, when he hears someone coughing to get their attention, he’s forgotten what he was trying to accomplish in the first place.

He leans back, but doesn’t let go and neither does Rome. He looks at Enrique and Roberto from Rome’s shoulder, with him twisting his neck so that he can see them as well. They both look pretty shocked.

“You guys need anything?” Brian’s voice sounds throaty.

Enrique and Roberto share a glance; clearly, this wasn’t in their plans. Brian tries very hard not to smirk, but also not to step on Rome’s toes, who’s decided it’s a good idea to keep massaging his ass.

“Mr. Verone wants you guys to know that we’ll be riding tomorrow with you,” Roberto finally says, apparently deciding the boat isn’t worthy of an inspection for Monica.

“Right,” Brian says and then raises an eyebrow, “was that all?”

The two of them share another glance and finally nod. “Yeah,” Enrique says, “we’ll leave you two to… that.”

Finally, Brian stops fighting the smirk that wants to come out, letting it bloom on his face. He slowly starts to move the hand on Rome’s waist downward and then Enrique and Eduardo are hightailing out of the boat.

Brian waits a few seconds after they’re gone to start laughing. He turns to Rome, “that worked well.”

“Yeah,” Rome says but he’s not laughing, or even smiling, just looking intently at Brian, who realizes that they’re still grabbing onto each other.

He knows that he should let go, definitely tell Rome about what Monica told him, that the two men who just left his boat have been told to kill them after the job is done. But at the same time… He really doesn’t want to let go.

It’s been a long time since Brian was with someone who really knew him. There were the people who knew him as a cop, but not as an illegal racer. And there were those who knew him as a criminal, but not as a cop.

Rome knows him in a way that no one else does. And sure, they’ve had their issues – they should probably still talk about Rome’s stint in prison – but they’re working through them. This job… It’s been a long time since Brian felt this free, had this much fun without also feeling guilty that he was leading people along.

“Your hand is still on my ass,” Brian finally says and it sounds slightly winded. He swallows, sees the way Rome’s eyes look downward to follow the movement, can’t control the way his hand on Rome’s waist squeezes.

“Yeah,” Rome says, turning his eyes back to Brian’s and sounding completely unapologetic. Which is just… so Rome. Maybe this isn’t the best idea, sleeping with an ex in the middle of an op, especially considering all that’s unspoken between them, but right now Brian is having a hard time remembering reasons to turn his back on him.

So he decides talking is overrated and dives back in for a kiss.

It’s still not that unsure first kiss, but it’s not as strongly as the one he started a few minutes ago either. This one is… Well, it feels like it used to, when they were young and had just got away with something they definitely weren’t supposed to.

Rome gives as got as he gets; always has. And Brian decides to stop listening to his brain and just enjoy the moment.

.

Afterwards, Brian’s shower is so tiny they each have a go at it alone. Brian goes first, so he’s sitting on his bed, dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, when Rome comes out, with just a towel around his waist, droplets of water still slowly running down his chest.

“You play dirty,” Brian says, sounding a bit raspy. Usually he’d try his hardest to hide just how much Rome affects him but after what they just did… Seems like a moot point.

Rome smirks, knowing exactly how good he looks. “Guess we should have left the shower for later, uh?”

Brian laughs, but shakes his head, “we gotta go meet Bilkins and Markham.”

“Man, I hate those guys. Bilkins’ alright, I guess, but Markham… Should have shot him when I had the chance.”

Brian just rolls his eyes; he knows that no matter how much Rome might hate Markham, he also knows that killing a cop is something that will never let you go.

“Verone is planning on killing us after the money’s secure. That’s what Monica came to tell me.”

“Shit,” Rome says, looking serious. He drops the towel to put his boxers and pants back on, picking them up from the floor, then puts on his tank top as well.

“Guess the fun time’s over,” Brian says and Rome stares at him. He’s studying him, a bit impassive and Brian doesn’t know what to say or do.

“We should go,” Rome finally says and his face has closed down. There’s a lot of reasons for that but mostly, Brian believes Rome doesn’t want to go, that he does want to just stay in this little boat with Brian. At least, that’s what he wants to believe.

But Brian doesn’t say any of that. Instead he sighs and gets up, “yeah.”

They leave silently and even though they’ve just had sex for the first time in years, suddenly it feels like they’re further apart than before. Brian promises himself to talk about it before the job the next day; if something really does happen… He doesn’t want to leave with any regrets.

Of course, first he has to figure out just what exactly it is that he wants. But looking at Rome driving behind him on the highway, he knows exactly what he doesn’t want, and that’s Rome leaving back to Barstow and the two of them continuing like they have since he went to prison.

.

They talk on the pier, Brian telling Rome that he would have done everything he could for him if he’d known about the raid and Rome telling him it wasn’t his fault, that it was his own.

It feels good, like a weight of Brian’s chest and from the way Rome is smiling, he seems to be feeling a similar way. But there’s something else they still need to talk about, so Brian takes a deep breath.

“Hey, about this morning-”

“I get it,” Rome says, interrupting him, with his eyes trained somewhere left of Brian’s eyes, “it was a good diversion and then we just got caught in the moment.”

“No,” Brian says immediately and Rome’s eyes finally turn to him, but he doesn’t say anything. Still, he seems to be… waiting on something. But also clearly hiding his feelings from Brian, doesn’t want to show what he’s really feeling. “Yeah, we got caught up in the moment, but it wasn’t just that.”

“No?” Rome asks and he takes a step forward, though he leans back afterwards, like he didn’t mean to do that.

“No,” Brian answers with certainty. He takes a step forward, being so close to Rome that if he breathes too strongly, the air will hit his face. “I missed you and not just as a friend.”

Rome doesn’t say anything right away, just studying Brian, who doesn’t move, just lets himself be studied, hopes that Rome finds whatever he’s looking for.

“I missed you too,” Rome says and raises a hand to Brian’s jaw, who can’t help but to close his eyes just for a second at the contact. This, the two of them being soft around each other, was rare even when they’d pretty much decided to be exclusive. The two of them might talk a lot and share grins like they’re running out of fashion, but there isn’t a lot of people that get to see them in a real honest way.

Brian moves his face so that he can kiss Rome’s palm, doesn’t feel embarrassed at the corny move at all.

“You could have tried chocolates, you know?” Rome says and his voice has that smug, shit-eating tone to it, which Brian has known for over two decades.

“What?” Brian asks, genuinely confused, but still smiling.

“Chocolates, flowers… That’s what most people try to win someone back. Finding a way to get me a clean record was a damn big gesture.”

Brian’s smile grows. He didn’t do it because of that and Rome knows it too, but he’s willing to go along.

“I don’t make enough to get you back through food,” Brian says and Rome lets go of his jaw so that he can use that hand to push Brian back, though not with too much strength. Brian just laughs.

“You’re an ass,” Rome says but he’s smiling too.

“Your ass, though,” Brian says, still smiling, but now it’s small and yes, perhaps just a bit unsure. It’s not fun putting yourself out there, not knowing if you’re going to be caught or let go of, but here, with the sun going down, with the smell of the ocean surrounding them, Brian feels brave.

“Yeah,” Rome says and his eyes are crinkling on the corners from his smile. He moves his hand back to Brian’s head, this time placing it below his face, with his ear between his thumb and indicator. Then he kisses him and Brian moves a hand to Rome’s waist, the other to his neck and he can’t help the sigh he lets out against Rome’s mouth.

They kiss for a few minutes, not hurriedly, not trying to one up each other. Rome is the first to let go, looking softly at Brian, who smiles.

“Your ass is mine too,” he says and Rome stares at him for a few seconds before he nods.

“I can live with that,” he says and Brian almost makes a joke, almost says something along the lines of _I’m glad you’re feeling magnanimous_ but instead just keeps smiling at him.

“Good.”


End file.
